5 Catacombs of Priscilla

THE WORLD’S OLDEST IMAGE of the Blessed Virgin Mary (from A.D. 230) is painted on the wall of these catacombs, that all began with a wealthy woman named Priscilla. She was the wife of a Roman Consul, who was executed in A.D. 91 for atheism—that is, he didn’t believe in Roman gods, but was a follower of Christianity. While Romans practiced cremation, Christians believed in the resurrection, so they wrapped their dead in linen without embalming them and had to find space outside the city walls for burials.

Priscilla had her husband buried on a part of the family’s land that was once a quarry and generously donated the property for other Christian families to use. Between the second and fourth centuries, the spot turned into eight miles of layered tunnels, lined with shelves of tombs, and punctuated by larger cubicule (caves), that were elaborately decorated for the wealthier folk.

Popes and martyrs were buried here, and it became known as The Queen of the Catacombs. When Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in A.D. 313, it still was used for burials, but also became a pilgrimage site for the devout, who made a ritual of having picnics down here, to be near their heroes and beloved family members.

It’s a cool, eerie experience to wander through the labyrinth that was once full of beautifully carved marble sarcophagi and slabs, funerary statues, and frescos. Lots of the treasures disappeared when Rome was invaded in the sixth and seventh centuries, then also when the tombs were discovered by archaeologists in the sixteenthth century, and again when they were rediscovered by travelers on the Grand Tour, as those eighteenth-century visitors had no qualms about hauling off free souvenirs. Still, the mysterious atmosphere, remaining wall paintings, along with the new museum upstairs, inspires fascination.

Besides the precious image of Mary nursing Jesus, there is an impressive underground Greek Chapel, painted with Pompeii style early Christian symbols (doves, fish, anchors), and arches featuring Jesus as the Good Shepherd and Jonah and the whale.

I’m drawn to a fresco in the Cubicle of Velata, where a woman in a ruby red robe stands with her arms outstretched, and another in the Greek Chapel, a Banquet of the Eucharist, showing women celebrating. These two caused much hoopla in 2013, when the site had a grand opening of its new museum and restored artifacts. Catholic women who’ve been fighting for female ordination claimed that the images were clearly signs that there were women priests in those early days…so why were they being denied that right in the new millennium? Vatican authorities retaliated, claiming that the woman with outstretched arms was a traditional image from pagan and early Christian art, called an “Orans,” from the Latin word for “praying,” and certainly not a priestess. The debate rages on!

Compared to the Appian Way catacombs, the Priscilla Catacombs attract fewer tourists, giving you a chance to experience this unique piece of history in a more tranquil setting. It’s run by Benedictine nuns, a cheerful bunch in black habits, who follow the order’s motto: “Pray and Work.” They’re busy gals, running the gift shop, hand painting reproduction plaques of the catacomb wall paintings, and proudly making priests’ vestments.

The 2013 restoration brings a hi-tech angle to the place, with glass floors that allow you to see the layers of the underground—the top layer is the oldest, then they kept digging as more graves were needed. Also, Google Maps created a virtual tour of the entire complex, for armchair travelers.

Catacombs of Priscilla: open 8:30-12, 2:30-7, closed Monday, 06 862 06272 (www.catacombepriscilla.com)

Museo di Priscilla: www.mupris.net

Golden Day: Taxi over to the Catacombs of Priscilla (about ten minutes from the center). Tours in English run regularly and last about a half hour—you can call to find out that day’s schedule or just show up and there may be a half-hour wait for the next tour to start, giving you time to visit the museum. For lunch nearby, go to La Mora, a folksy place that serves excellent Tuscan cuisine, such as fettucine with mushrooms or roasted beef and potatoes. (Piazza Crati 13, 06 862 06613, closed Monday and Wednesday lunch, www.lamora.it)

TIP: Bring a sweater, it’s cold down there!